This paper presents the results of research of conflict management of 96 two-year-old and three-years-old children from Antillean, Moroccan and Dutch backgrounds and their teachers in multi-ethnic childcare centres. The focus is on the children's verbal strategies to resolve their conflicts and on the way the teachers intervene. The quantitative results relate to differences between the children in the amount and duration of the conflicts and to the use of these verbal strategies. In addition, it is investigated if the teachers' interventions differ for the ethnic groups. The use of verbal strategies is further analysed qualitatively.